Inside

Post in South Korea: Post Codes, Addresses and Mailing a Letter

Information about the postal system, including how to send mail, find a postal/zip code and write a South Korean address...

Postal services in South Korea are run by Korea Post. They have a comprehensive English-language website which allows users to find information on stamps, postal services and their banking services. They have a search facility which allows people to find their nearest post office, though it is only available in Korean. To use the search facility click on the "Location Search" link in the left hand side of the Korea Post homepage.

South Korean Postal Codes

Postal codes in South Korea are made up of six digits, written as two sets of three separated by a dash, for example, 101-863. The first three digits are determined by the province or town and the zone of an address, while the final three are determined by the delivery zone, box or building.

The Korea Post website has a zip code finder which allows users to search for a postal code by entering address details. Users are asked to select a metropolitan area, city and dong (the district of a city).

This page also has an example envelope illustrating how addresses should be written in South Korea.

Useful Vocabulary

The following vocabulary is useful when dealing with addresses and postal services in South Korea:

Do - province (which are divided into si and gun)

Si - city (cities are broken down into eup, myeon and dong)

Gun - municipality (these are broken down into eup and myeon)

Eup - centre of a municipality (they are divided into ri)

Ri - a specific area within a neighbourhood

Myeon - the villages of a municipality (they surround an eup)

Gu - a district within a metropolitan city

Dong - an area or district within a city or gu (these are then divided into ga)

Ga - a block

South Korean Addresses

In South Korea, addresses are written starting with the specific information (name, followed by house number and street) and moving on to more general information (town, city and province). The street number should be placed before the street name. The postal code should be placed to the right of the town or city name, which should be written in capitals. Korea Post advises people sending mail to the country from overseas to always include Seoul on this line to ensure that the delivery does not go to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). This causes no confusion as mail is sorted by the postal code.

If you believe any of the information on this page is incorrect or out-of-date, please let us know. AngloINFO makes every effort to ensure its
INFOrmation Pages are as comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date as possible, but we're also grateful for any help!

(If you want to contact AngloINFO for any other reason, please follow the instructions on this website's contact page.)